Nanguan Church of Shenyang City

The Nanguan Church in Shenyang is located at Lejiao Road in Shenhe District. It was established in 1873, burnt down in 1900 and rebuilt in 1912.

The existing Catholic Church was just the one built in 1912. The whole buildings are divided into two courtyards, the east yard and west yard. The church lies in the north of the east yard, with 66 meters in length from the north to south, 17 meters in width from the west to east, and 40 meters in height. The building area is 1,100 square meters. It can accommodate 1,500 people.

This church is a typical Gothic architecture. There are two cone-shaped spires at the top that are decorated with crosses. There are three arches in front of the church, and arrays of small windows on both sides. There are 24 columns support the vault that is embedded with large patterns. A four-storeyed bishop mansion was built in the west yard in 1926.

Shenyang City is the center of Catholicism in Northeast China. Before 1949, the seven bishops in Shenyang Parish were all Frenchmen, and Chinese priests held accessorial positions. It was not until September 1949 that Vatican first appointed a Chinese to be the bishop of Shenyang Parish and the chief bishop of Northeast Parish. The church was listed as a cultural relic under protection by Liaoning Province in 1988.